Baby joy for JK Rowling

Harry Potter author JK Rowling was celebrating today after giving birth to a boy.

The baby – named David Gordon Rowling Murray – was born on Sunday afternoon at the Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health at the new Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh.

Rowling’s publicist Nicky Stonehill said: “Both mother and baby are doing well.”

Ms Stonehill would not give any further details, but confirmed Rowling and the baby – her second child – had been released from hospital.

A hospital spokeswoman said: “We are delighted to be able to confirm that she gave birth to a son at the Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health on Sunday.”

Rowling, one of the UK's wealthiest women, already has a daughter, Jessica, from a previous marriage.

The writer split from Portuguese Jorges Arantes shortly after the birth.

Rowling, 37, married Dr Neil Murray at a secret Boxing day ceremony in 2001 at their home in Aberfeldy, Perthshire.

The birth comes just three months before the eagerly awaited fifth instalment of the boy wizard’s adventures hits bookshelves.

Harry Potter And The Order of the Phoenix will be published on June 21.

The previous episode in the series, Goblet of Fire, became the fastest selling book in history on the first weekend of its publication in July 2000.

It sold 372,000 copies in hardback in the UK during its first weekend in the shops.

Each of the four books so far have been number one in the bestseller lists and have dominated end-of-year sales charts.